McIngvale has been giving away housefuls of furniture at Christmas for more than 20 years.

McIngvale has been giving away housefuls of furniture at Christmas for more than 20 years.

Photo: Dan Hardy/Houston Chronicle

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For a couple of years in the late '90s at Christmas, he spent over $100,000 on the "world's tallest Christmas tree," which he set up on the store's parking lot. Pictured is a 105-foot Norwegian spruce outside Gallery Furniture on Dec. 1, 1999.

For a couple of years in the late '90s at Christmas, he spent over $100,000 on the "world's tallest Christmas tree," which he set up on the store's parking lot. Pictured is a 105-foot Norwegian spruce outside ... more

Photo: Carlos Antonio Rios, .

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He co-wrote the book, “Always Think Big.”

He co-wrote the book, “Always Think Big.”

Photo: .

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He spent his own money to campaign for the 2008 Olympics to come to Houston.

He spent his own money to campaign for the 2008 Olympics to come to Houston.

Photo: Richard Carson, .

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He's a Longhorn. He attended the University of Texas. Later he went to the University of North Texas.

He's a Longhorn. He attended the University of Texas. Later he went to the University of North Texas.

Photo: Nick De La Torre, .

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He financed the movie "Sidekicks," earning him a biography on IMDb.com

He financed the movie "Sidekicks," earning him a biography on IMDb.com

Photo: .

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He has a 5-car garage for his collection of Ferraris, including an F40.

He has a 5-car garage for his collection of Ferraris, including an F40.

Photo: Bob Edwards, .

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Two books that influenced him: “Think and Grow Rich” and “Influencer: The Power to Change Anything.”

Two books that influenced him: “Think and Grow Rich” and “Influencer: The Power to Change Anything.”

Photo: .

'Mattress Mack' tweets after heart procedure

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Houston's furniture king Jim McIngvale, known to his fans as "Mattress Mack," tweeted on Thursday after undergoing a heart procedure at St. Luke's Hospital.

Well wishes flooded his Twitter page after he tweeted, "I had a procedure on my heart today @ the TX Heart Ins. @ St. Luke's for a condition called PFO. Looking fwd to getting back to work soon."

McIngvale has more than 3,000 followers on the social networking site.

PFO, or patent foramen ovale, is a hole in the heart that fails to heal on its own. If untreated, it could lead to a stroke.

McIngvale, 62, founded Gallery Furniture in 1981. It's a top-selling store made famous by his TV commercials and has two locations in town, on the North Freeway and in the Galleria area.

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His older brother, George, suffered from severe heart disease. He received a heart pump, but died in December 2008.

Jim McIngvale and his wife, Linda, are leading contributors to the Texas Heart Institute and donated $2.1 million to bring Australian inventor Daniel Timms and his revolutionary artificial heart to Houston.